Teaching about World War I usually involves a little international politics, a little national politics, and a side trip into the innovations of waging war. Why not include something a little more personal and relatable--like food? Four short (under 5 minutes) videos introduce the idea that Americans' role in providing food aid to Europe in the early stages of the war was part of the larger Progressive movement. The videos also focus on the actual preparation of a World War I era meal. Information about the actual recipes is interwoven with further political and cultural commentary about life in the US during the World War I era. Videos are hosted on Vimeo, so Flash isn't required.

In the Classroom

Use these short videos to make life during World War I come alive. Consider asking students to make some of these recipes themselves at home, or if it's feasible, prepare an authentic meal at school as a treat during the unit. Students might discuss the issue of food rationing during both World War I and II as a contrast to the widespread availability of all kinds of food today. How is food rationing a patriotic act? Challenge students to find other popular recipes from this time in history. Have students video the preparation and explanation of the recipe. Share the videos on a site such as TeacherTube reviewed here.

Maptia is a bold, beautiful world of thoughtful and inspiring stories told through photographs by photographers, adventurers, and writers. Explore stories categorized by places, themes, and storytellers. Stories focus on portraying an individual perspective of the location and why it matters on a personal level. Find a collection of inspiring stories by people and organizations who are making a difference in many corners of the world. When browsing through offerings, information includes a short synopsis along with the location featured and an estimate of time to read the story. Create an account to add your stories. Bookmark and save favorites for viewing at any time. Maptia works well for viewing in all browsers, but it is optimized for Chrome and Safari when creating stories.

In the Classroom

Share Maptia on your interactive whiteboard or projector to discover personal stories from anywhere in the world. Share with students as examples of personal narrative writing. Challenge students to create an account and add their own personal stories. To find even more stories like those under Causes see The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heros, reviewed here, and follow their ten steps for writing about people who make a difference. Create a class account and bookmark favorites. Share with students through a link on your class web page. Display photographs for use as a creative writing prompt.

This complex history lesson about the Revolutionary War shows the battlefield. It goes on to explain various aspects both orally and in text. Click anywhere on the screen (picture) to learn more about that specific area (or topic). You can also click on the "Choose an item from the menu" in the upper right corner. There you will find information about weaponry, tactics, descriptions of both armies involved, and information about the soldier himself. There is an option to print the spoken/printed text.

In the Classroom

Bookmark this site as a way to review what students are learning about the Revolutionary War. Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students create their own comics to illustrate and expand on what they have learned. Use a comic-creation tools from the TeachersFirst collection.

What was life like in 20th century America? Explore the major events and watershed moments, as well as everyday life during the decades. Read both fiction and nonfiction books about times that brought the Model T, an influenza epidemic, and flappers. Dig deep into the Depression and life during wartimes. CurriConnects thematic book lists include ISBN numbers for ordering or searching, interest grade levels, ESL levels and Lexiles''® to match student independent reading levels to challenge, not frustrate. For more on text complexity and Lexiles''®, see this information from the Lexile Framework. This list features books for all levels of readers. Let students choose a book in one area of interest during the 20th century and share with the class about times long before they were born. Don't miss other CurriConnects themes being added regularly. If your library does not have the books, try interlibrary loan!

In the Classroom

Make the first half of the 20th century come alive during your unit on American History. Have students choose a book from this list and present their impressions from it in the form of a blog post from the times using a tool such as Throwww (reviewed here). This site allows you to create "quick and easy" blogs to be used one time only. There is no registration necessary! Collect the links to all the student posts on your class web page for students to browse and gather a "human" experience of history.

Governments have used propaganda throughout history to shape public opinion. During World War I, average Americans were not in favor of getting involved in what began as a European conflict. The US Government used propaganda posters in an attempt to change that attitude and convince the populace that US intervention was needed. This collection of 23 World War I era propaganda posters chronicles that attempt, and provides insight into why particular images were chosen and how these images were designed to sway beliefs about the war.

In the Classroom

The study of propaganda is an important adjunct to understanding how governments can shape the views of their citizens; the US is no exception. This slideshow can provide visual impact to a discussion of the US decision to enter World War I. Are there images used today that are designed to change public opinion? How can we learn to recognize propaganda and distinguish it from more unbiased information? Use this tool in art class and challenge students to create their own propaganda (or advertisement) posters. Discuss what moods certain colors evoke in the pictures. Unfortunately, there seems to be no good way to present the images full screen, which would give them more impact on an interactive whiteboard or projector. The slideshow would also be a useful resource for students researching propaganda in general.

If you could have 100 objects from throughout history, how would you use them in your teaching? The British Museum delves into its collections and provides a rotating group of 100 objects. Each object is categorized by time period, theme, and place. The objects can be searched and grouped accordingly. Each object has extensive supporting information, lesson plan ideas, essential questions, and suggestions for linkages to other objects. A PDF download for each object is available for classroom handouts. Finally, there are links to outside resources for further study. There are also connections to Key Stage (grade level) and Curriculum area that are specific to the British educational system. If you aren't familiar with Key Stages: Stage 1 is K-2, Stage 2 is grades 3-5, Stage 3 is grades 6-8, Stage 4 is grades 9-10, and Stage 5 is grades 11-12. Since this site was created in the UK, American English speakers may notice some slight spelling differences.

In the Classroom

While the objects are classified with an eye toward their relevance to British history, there are plenty of connections to historical inquiry regardless of geographic area. If you are not focusing on British history yourself, consider using this concept to challenge students to select 100 (or some more manageable number) objects to represent their area of interest. What 100 objects might represent their community's history? Their school's history? Their family's history? From a historian's perspective, how do objects represent historical themes? How can we discover more about a culture or historical time period by examining the objects of that time? Why and how do historians choose particular objects to put into museums, and how do those objects tell a story? How could you create a "museum" of your school or of your community using objects?

Visit Cool Kid Facts to find information for just about anything in this world or even out of this world! Select from Geography, History, Science, Animals, and Human Body. There are also topics in the right menu on the home page that range from Albert Einstein to Volcanoes and nearly everything else you can think of (alphabetically) in between. There are articles, videos, pictures, and quizzes, too. The videos are from various outside sources and are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube.

In the Classroom

Share this site with students on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) and show them all the different subjects available. Challenge students to find a topic about which they know nothing (or barely anything). This site will give them experience reading informational text on a topic they wonder about. Partner weaker readers with others who may be able to help them read the text-heavier articles. Have students read and research individually or in small groups taking notes using a simple graphic organizer from 25 Language Arts Graphic Organizers, reviewed here. Use this opportunity to teach summarizing, and citing sources. Cool Kid Facts is a great tool to build background knowledge about all sorts of topics!

Learn about Edgar Allen Poe and his literature through this eerie, interactive experience. Using video, comics, and websites, the program explores the historical backdrop of "The Pit and the Pendulum," i.e. the Spanish Inquisition. Find the many hidden links within the comics using your mouse cursor and with a QR code reader. Be sure to allow plenty of time for exploration of the many hidden features lurking in this site! To make sure you can fully explore the site, read information for the tools needed. The links to see the film lead only to the trailer for the film and ads to purchase the DVD. These are not needed to enjoy the interactive comic.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Introduce this program to your class on your interactive whiteboard or projector as an immediate attention grabber to begin your Edgar Allen Poe unit. Explore together and have students explore on their own or in groups. Provide the link on your website for students to continue to explore at home. Have students create online posters individually or in small groups to advertise their favorite part of "The Pit and The Pendulum." Use a tool such as Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here, or PicLits, reviewed here. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a story character or Edgar Allen Poe himself.

Classic Cat is a free classical music catalogue. Search for music by composer, performer, instrument, and more. Browse through the Top 100 or view Visitor's Favorites for ideas of popular music. Follow links for each page to view information such as the length of the piece, download size, and if it is complete or a just portion of the work. Click the download (disk) icon to go to the webpage that offers the download. Pay attention next to the download icon for an "R" in bold letters; this indicates that you need to register for free at that site before downloading music. Free registration on Classic Cat allows users to save items to a personal play list. Read the description carefully as a few of the downloads are not free.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Incorporate this resource into your classroom music program. Use this site to introduce music eras (baroque, classical, romantic), lives of composers, or families of musical instruments. The comprehensive content can be used to supplement a music appreciation class, to augment a social studies or world language lesson on a particular historical/cultural era, or to serve as a guide for building a CD library.

Visit the British Library website to search through catalogues, order items for research, view exhibitions and connect to information resources worldwide. Explore the many collections sorted by subject, time period, region, and more. Many collections feature digitized archives of television and radio news and almost 7 million pages from newspapers across the UK and Ireland. Click the "Discover" link to view Online Galleries featuring virtual books, old maps, and ancient manuscripts. This site is created from the UK. If you are an American English speaker, spellings will be slightly different. This museum is to Britain what the Smithsonian is to the U.S.

In the Classroom

Create a link to the British Library website on classroom computers for students to explore on their own or with a partner. Use as part of any lessons about British history. Have students find and explore old maps and compare with current maps. Compare the maps using an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here). View television and radio news archives together on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) to learn about the world from a British perspective about any time period such as World War I or World War II. Explore British authors and poets and view their manuscripts online!

Explore interesting history tidbits and background information about world events including topics from Atlantis to Vikings. Scroll through the list of topics and find links to various podcast episodes with archives going back to 2008. Click to play the episodes or download any episode in mp3 format using the download link. Episodes are approximately 30 minutes in length. You can also search for specific topics using the search tool.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Use podcasts from Stuff You Missed in History to enrich current lessons or lure students into thinking history can actually be "cool." Provide a link on class computers or your class website for students use. Have students use a mapping tool such as Zeemaps, reviewed here, to create a map of one of these events (with audio stories and pictures included)! Have students use Fakebook (reviewed here) to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about one of the people in these lesser known historic events.

Test geography skills with Spacehopper (powered by Google Maps). After viewing a Google Street View interactive image of a location, your goal is to pinpoint the location on the world map. Look around using Street View tools to find information that can help determine where you are. Click to receive up to three clues to narrow down the correct answer. Then click the correct dot showing the location of the image. Check your answer. Receive the answer and location after three incorrect guesses. You can also click the clue button a fourth time and you move on to the next location. Choose specific continents rather than the entire world, if too challenging.

In the Classroom

Display Spacehopper on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) to practice problem-solving skills along with geography and map skills. First review how Street View tools work. (Why not allow a student emcee to operate it?) Have students research locations and create an annotated map image including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Thinglink, reviewed here. Have students create their own location mysteries and associated questions to put on their Thinglink map image. Or have theme simply "drop" a placemarker in Google Maps and write clues and questions to accompany the placemarker url so classmates can figure out why the location is important. Mysteries could include home ports of explorers, locations of major landforms, environmental disaster sites, author homes, or any location that places your curriculum "on the map." In world language classes, have students write the hints in their new language as they introduce cultural locations related to the language.

Comments

Such a cool way to have interactive geography questions for the whole group.Patricia, NJ, Grades: 6 - 12

It is hard to believe that World War I began over 100 years ago. Explore "The War to End All Wars" through a series of maps, both contemporary and historical. The collection provides extensive insight into the causes, progress, and impact of World War I. Each map is accompanied by a brief explanation of what it illustrated. Each map can then be opened as an image alone in another tab/window and is then zoomable. Some of the historic maps are static; others have interactive features. The maps are organized into categories: Background, War Breaks Out, Major European Battles, the War Outside Europe, Technology, Allied Victory, and Consequences of the War. There are hyperlinks to further information embedded in the explanatory material with each map.

In the Classroom

These maps are perfect for use on an interactive whiteboard. If you are teaching World War I, these maps need to be among your "go to" bookmarks for illustrating important highlights about the War. Consider also providing a link to the maps as part of materials students can access to learn more, as extra challenge, or for independent or group projects. The maps illustrating important technology first used in World War I will fascinate students who enjoy learning how things work. Have students create a multimedia project about the aspects of WWI that fascinate them most.

What if you could plan a trip to Ancient Rome in the year 200? This geospatial model of the Roman World allows you to choose among major Roman empire urban centers and plot the most efficient course of travel. The map takes into consideration the geography and terrain, the season, the weather, the mode of transportation (boat? on foot?) and whether we want to get there quickly or cheaply. An experience like the old "Oregon Trail" software on steroids allows you to experience travel in the Ancient Roman Empire and to understand the pressures and challenges the growing Empire experienced in trying to govern such a large area.

In the Classroom

There are a lot of complexities involved in plotting a route between two cities, but the interface is pretty intuitive, and students with enjoy playing "what if" with the various possibilities. Once they get the hang of it, challenge individual students or groups to see who can make it from start to finish most quickly or cheaply. What happens if you start in the Winter? or the Fall? And of course, how did these challenges affect the real Roman Empire and its citizens? If individual computers aren't available, plot your travel as a class on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Include this in Latin or world history class to make Roman civilization more "real."

Bring the world of music videos into your classroom with this extensive collection of music videos hosted on YouTube but sorted and indexed by Huzzaz. Although the site offers a large range of current music in many genres, find the best part of the collection, for classroom use, in the Throwback Machine. Follow that link to find videos set to the top 100 songs from every year back to 1960. Click on any thumbnail to hear the original recording artist and view videos. Some video links contain song lyrics and background information on the song or artist. Hover your mouse over each thumbnail to find these. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Include the Throwback Machine as part of modern history lessons to help students understand the culture of the period. Have students use ClipNabber, reviewed here, to grab favorite clips from online video sources such as Huzzaz (click to their YouTube page to get direct links) and other YouTube sources to include in multimedia projects. Challenge students to create a presentation using Prezi, reviewed here, and include videos discovered on this site. Have students create timelines (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Capzles, reviewed here. Have students make a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools, reviewed here. Embed a video from this site onto your webpage or blog, and ask students to explore other events and famous people from a time period.

Big History Project is a free, online social studies course designed for secondary students tracing from the Big Bang through the history of humanity. This course takes a VERY broad view of the "big picture" to provide greater perspective in how we see history. View course information in 2 sections with 10 units covering a time span of 13.7 billion years. Each unit contains between 20-30 modules including projects, discussion topics, and assessments. All are aligned to Common Core Standards. Other course offerings include Project Based Learning activities, videos, animations, infographics, and much more. A simpler, shorter version of the course for the general public is available under "Not an educator?. Click on "Check out our public course."

In the Classroom

Use Big History Project as a complete year-long course in your high school. Adapt portions of the project for use within current classroom content. Share videos or use lessons or animations as part of any unit. If you employ Project Based Learning activities, use the three PBL learning activities embedded within the project. Be sure to read through the FAQ provided on the site for guidance on using the Big History Project in your classroom.

The Presidential Library of Harry S. Truman offers an extensive archive of resources to help us understand the idealogical foundations of the Cold War era. The Cold War shaped much of the history of the second half of the twentieth century, particularly in the Western world. Included are a chronology of the era, photographs, oral histories (text based), profiles of important figures, primary documents, and lesson plans. The lesson plans were developed by a group of teachers who attended a summer institute at the Truman Library and can be downloaded as either Word documents or PowerPoint presentations. The documents can be viewed online or downloaded in a printable format.

In the Classroom

While much of what you find here will be useful for your own lesson planning, the photograph archive will be useful for images related to the Cold War era. Some of the documents could be printed and used for small group discussions or analysis. Consider referring students who are doing research for a National History Day project to this resource. Challenge students to research the information shared at this site and create blogs as Cold War personalities using a site such as Throwww ( here). This tool allows you to create "quick and easy" blogs to be used one time only.

The Nazi and East German Propaganda Guide Page offers a massive collection of resources demonstrating the use of propaganda leading up to and throughout World War Two. Explore categories such as posters, essays, and other reading materials. Each resource includes a short explanation of the source and how the material was used to promote the Nazis. For a full explanation on the background of the site and options for using materials included make sure you read the FAQ section. Although the presentation of this material is plain vanilla, the actual artifacts are powerful.

In the Classroom

Bookmark and save this site for use throughout your World War Two unit. Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Challenge students to find examples of the Allies' use of propaganda and use an online tool such as Canva, reviewed here to create diagrams, mindmaps, and other visual graphic organizers comparing the uses of propaganda. Have students create a word cloud of the propaganda terms they learn from this site using a tool such as Wordle, reviewed here, or WordItOut, reviewed here. Save this one in your favorites to suggest if you have students who need primary sources projects for National History Day.

This interactive "hunt" explores the history of St. Albans in Hertfordshire, England. This city, now a commuter community outside London, has deep historic roots from Roman times forward. The "hunt" challenges you to find items stolen from St. Albans Museum by the Norse God Loki. Travel through time beginning with the Romans in 43 AD and answer history questions along the way. The trail ends with the Victorian Era in 1901. Follow your animated tour guides through history.

In the Classroom

Play History Hunt together on your interactive whiteboard or projector as you learn about Britain, Roman times, Medieval times, or European history. Allow students to play on laptops. Be sure to share a link on your class web page for students to play at home. Have students use Fakebook (reviewed here) to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about one of the figures found during the History Hunt. Have students create a timeline using Xtimeline (reviewed here). Use this prototype for student groups to create a choose-your-own-adventure style interactive history of other locations with questions to solve using a tool such as Inklewriter, (reviewed here).

Explore award-winning resources related to British History presented by the British National Archives. Choose from time periods from Medieval Times through the present. You can also choose by Key Stage (similar to grade level bands). If you aren't familiar with Key Stages: Stage 1 is K-2, Stage 2 is grades 3-5, Stage 3 is grades 6-8, Stage 4 is grades 9-10, and Stage 5 is grades 11-12. While this site does have materials for all stages, there isn't a huge selection for Stage 1.

Download lessons, Resource Packs, and Podcasts. Be sure to check out the extensive section for students including games, study skill tips and advice, and information on using primary sources. Learn about important people, government officials, and heroes of the past and present such as Charles Dickens and Florence Nightingale. Explore and research famous events/times such as American Civil Rights Movement or Life During War Times. The site was created in the UK, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from American English.

In the Classroom

Keep this site in mind as an easy place to find games and lessons related to British history (and even some world history topics). Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Present the same time period, such as World War II, from a British and American point of view using this site and similar primary source images from U.S. collections like this one or this one. Have students create timelines (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Capzles (reviewed here). Have students use Fakebook (reviewed here) to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a British resident during any time periods involved with these activities. Take advantage of the ready to go lesson plans, interactives, podcasts, and videos. Literature teachers will also want to explore and share the information about British authors.